Shaping machine



Feb, 11, 1936, F. G. WALLER 2,030,484

SHAPING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 7' TOE/YEY F. G.WALL-ER SHAPING MACHINE Febrl 1, 1936.

Filed March 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT- OFFICE 2,030,484 SHAPING MACHINE I i Fred G. Waller, EastSt. Louis, 111. v

' Application March 21, 1934, Serial No. 716,604

Claims. (Cl. 113-38) This invention relates generally to shaping ma.-chines, and more specifically to an improved shaping machine adapted foruse in producing description mentioned may be produced during a singlecontinuous operation of the machine.

Prior to this invention cans, cups, containers, and various otherarticles of this general nature were each produced by subjecting theblank of material being shaped to produce the article to successive,independent die operations; that is to say, the blank was subjected tothe operation of one set of dies by which it was partially shaped, afterwhich the blank was successively subjected in turn to a plurality ofadditional independent die operations, each of which carried the shapingof the blank a step forward. This method of procedure is cumbersome andtime-consuming, inasmuch as it calls for a transfer of the blank beingoperated upon from one to another set of dies as the shaping operationsprogress. Also, it is expensive because of the necessity thatconsiderable equipment be produced and maintained on hand for carryingout the various independent shaping operations.

In view of the foregoing I have devised a single machine which functionsin such manner that the article being formed is completely produced bythe improved machine during one continuous operation. Thus the expenseof producing and maintaining a plurality of sets of independent dies iseliminated, and the time required for producing articles in accordancewith this invention is very much less than was the case when thearticles were produced in accordance withflthe 40 independent die methodformerly followed.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the improved machine, a part thereofbeing broken away to conserve space.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical section of the machine shown in Fig. 1but with parts thereof shown in changed positions.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the machine as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the cam for actuating theejecting mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryview of one of the cams of the machine whichactuates shaping elements of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the forming elements 01'the machine as they appear when the forming operation has beencompleted.

In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration,merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improvedshaping machine generally. The machine A includes a main body portion Iwhich may be of any desired shape and dimensions, said body portionbeing shown in the drawings as more or less cylindrical and the hollowinterior thereof providing a circular cavity 2 in which certainimportant parts of the machine are disposed. Also the main body'portionfor the machine is provided with a slot 3formed transversely through thewall portion thereof, through which material from which the articlesbeing produced with the aid of the machines is passed into, through, andout of the machine. The slot 3 is formed continuously through the bodyportion l of the machine, and 'said' slot is open at opposite sides ofthe main body portion of the machine, the intake end of the slot beingindicated by the reference character I and the discharge end of the slotbeing designated by the reference character l As will presently appearherein, the sheet of material M being operated on by the machine is fedinto the machine through the intake 'end of the slot 3, and said sheetis discharged from the machine through the discharge end of the slot Isaid sheet in the meantime having blanks stamped therefrom which areformed by the machine into the articles being formed.

Arranged within the lower portion of the cavity 2 of the body portion Iof the machine A is a plurality of V annular forming elements 4. Theseannular forming elements 4 are nested one within the other, as shownclearly in the drawings, the outer face of the largest annular formingelement being in contact with the face of the cavity 2, and the faces ofadjacent forming elements being in contact with each other. Theinnermost or smallest forming element 4 differs from the other formingelements 4 in that the opening formed therethrough is of irregularshape, this opening having a tapering portion at its upper enddesignated by the reference character 5, which communicates with aportion 6 located immediately below said tapering portion, and thisportion 6 is of less'diameter than a portion 1 disposed beneath and incommunication with said portion 6. The largest forming element 4 has acutting edge 8 located at the junction of its outer face and its topedge, and this cutting edge co-operates with an annular cutting edge 9at the junction of the upper edge of the slot 3 and the inner face ofthe cavity 2, so as to cut blanks B from the sheet of material M as itpasses through the machine. The annular forming elements 4 are movablevertically with respect to each other, and the largest outer formingelement is movable vertically with respect to the face of the cavity 2.

Disposed immediately above the group of annular forming elements 4 is asimilar group of annular forming elements In. The forming elements Ii]correspond in number to the forming elements 4, and said two groups offorming ele'- ments are arranged in such relation that'each formingelement 4 has a forming element l arranged above it in precise, verticalalinement with respect thereto. As is the case with the forming elements4, the forming elements H] are capable of moving vertically with respecttoeach other. Also, the outer or largest element of the group of formingelements I0 is movable vertically with respect to the face of the cavity2.

Downward movement of the forming elements it] relative to each other andwith respect tothe main body portion of the machine A is limited by apair of pins The outer end portions of these'pins are disposed inopenings |2 formed in the main body portion and said pins pass throughalined, vertically extended slots |3 formed through the forming elementsHi. The pins H are supported at their inner ends by a hollow post |4provided with apertures l5 which receive the inner end portions of saidpins, said hollow post being suitablysupported in a fixed position by astationary element l6 forming a fixed part of the machine. The lowerportion of the hollow post I4 is disposed within the opening formedthrough the smallest annular forming element ill, the outer face of saidpost contacting closely with the face of said opening, and at thelowerend of the post an opening portion H is provided which is .of greaterdiameter than the opening l8 formed through the remainder of the postand is of tapered formation.

The pins prevent the annular forming elements H! from moving downwardlybeyond the point where the lower edges thereof are alined horizontallywith the upper edge of the slot 3, as when the annular forming elementsare so positioned the top faces of the slots 3 contact with the pins andthereby prevent further downward movement of the forming elements. Also,because the slots I3 are disposed vertically and are elongated theforming elements I!) may move upwardly considerable distances withouthindrance from the pins I I.

At the lower end of the machine A a plurality of shafts I3 is arrangedradially with respect to the main body portion of the machine, as shownmost clearly in Fig. 3. The shafts l9 are supported for rotation insuitable bearings 20 which are supported by, or form parts of, the mainbody of the machine. At the inner end of each of the shafts IS a cam 2|is located which is provided with a plurality of cam faces 22 22 22ference of the associated shaft 9, as shown clearly in Fig. 6, thisspacing of the cam faces 22 being such that the said cam faces move theannular forming elements 4 upwardly in successive relation. In otherwords, if Fig. 6 be considered, the cam 2| is rotated in the directionindicated by the arrow, and the first movement resulting from therotation of the cam is that cam face 22 moves the outermost or largestannular forming element upwardly. As the cam face 22 is moving theoutermost forming element upwardly, the cam face 22 of the rotating cam2| starts to move the second largest forming element upwardly. Then inturn the cam faces 22, 22 22 22 22 and 22 impart upward movement to theforming elements in successive order from the larger elements to thesmallest, innermost element, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. When the cams 2|have moved the forming elements 4 upwardly as described, and the highpoints of the cam faces thereof have passed beyond the lower faces ofthe forming elements, said forming elements move downwardly by gravityin contact with the cam faces of the various cams 2| to the positions inwhich the forming elements are shown in Fig. '1, whereupon thecontinuously rotating cams 2| again move the forming elements upwardlyas explained.

At the top of the body portion of the machine A a plurality of radiallydisposed shafts 23 are arranged, which are similar in arrangement to theshafts H! at the lower end of the body portion I, said shafts beingrotatably supported in suit able bearings 23'. At the inner end of eachof the radially arranged shafts 23 is located a cam 24, these cams beingsimilar to the cams 2| at the lower end of the body portion of themachine. The cams 23 are each provided with cam faces 24*, 24 24, 24 2424 24 and 24 which are adapted to contact with the top faces of theannular forming elements l0, these cam faces being arranged in spacedrelation in the direction of the circumference of the associated shaft23 in the manner already explained in connection with the cam faces ofthe cams 2|. The operation of the cams 24 is so correlated with theoperation of the cams 2| that the cam faces of the cams 24 moveintocontact with the top faces of the various annular forming elementsimmediately as the cam faces of the cams 2| contact with and start tomove the annular forming elements 4 upwardly, and as the high points ofthe cam faces of the cams 2| move toward the lower faces of theforming'elements 4, the high points of the cam faces of the cams 24 moveaway from the top faces of the annular forming elements IQ. Thus eachpair of vertically alined, annular forming elements during verticalmovement thereof is interposed between cam faces which contact with thebottom face of the lower forming ele- .ment and top faceof the upperforming element.

One of the shafts at the lower end of the body portion includes anextended portion 25 to which a bevel gear 26 is fixed. Also, saidextended shaft portion has fixed to it inwardly of the bevel gear 26 agear '21 which meshes at its opposite sides with gear idlers 28, saidgear idlers 28 in turn meshing with gears 29 that are fixed to shafts 30mounted in suitable bearings 3|. The shafts 30 have fixedly mountedthereon bevel gears 32 which mesh with bevel gears 33 fixed to the tworadially arranged shafts |9 other than the shaft IS with which theextended shaft portion 25 is associated. The bevel gear 26 is arrangedin mesh witha similar bevel bent is interposed.

gear 34 which is fixed to a vertically disposed shaft 35 that isarranged in suitable bearings 36.

The radially arranged shafts 23 located at the top of the body portionof the machine A are driven by gearing arranged precisely as is thegearing just described for driving the radially arranged shafts I9, andtherefore such gearing need not be described in detail. In other words,the shaft 35 is provided at its upper end with a bevel gear 31 whichmeshes with a bevel gear 38 mounted on an extension 39 of one of theradial shafts 23. Also, this shaft extension 39 has fixed to it a gear40 which through the operation of suitable gearing and shafts similar tothose described in connection with the radial shafts |9 drives theshafts 23.

Fixedly mounted on the shaft extension 39 is a cam 4| which impartsvertical movement to a rod 42 that is supported in a suitable bearing43. The rod 42 is connected by a slot and pin connection to an end of anarm 44 which is pivoted to a fixed support 45, the opposite end of saidarm being connected by a slot and pin connection to the upper end of anejector rod 46 which is arranged for vertical movement within the hollowpost I4. The ejector rod 46 at its lower end is provided with anenlarged head 46', and also a coil spring 41 is associated with the arm44, said coil spring being connected at its opposite ends to the arm anda fixed part of the machine, whereby upward movement of the end of thearm to which the rod 42 is attached is resisted.

In the operation of the machine A a blank of material M is fed into saidmachine through the inlet end of the slot 3, and the upward movement ofthe outer annular forming element 4 will cause the cutting edge 8thereof and the cutting edge 9 within the cavity 2 to out a circularblank B from said sheet of material. The annular forming elements 4moving upwardly in response to rotation of the cams 2|, as alreadyexplained herein, bend the portion of the blank beyond the centralportion B thereof upwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and '7, this upwardmovement of the blank portion being performed by the upwardly moving,annular forming elements 4 and 10 between which the portion of the blankbeing When the portion of the blank B beyond the central portion Bthereof has been bent upwardly until said portion embraces the lower endof the post I4, as shown in Fig. '7, the forming of the article has beenaccomplished, and at this time the high point of the cam 4| will contactwith the lower end of the rod 42. This causes the arm 44 to be movedabout its pivot, whereby the ejector rod 46 is moved downwardly so as toforce the forward article downwardly from the machine through theopening within the innermost or smallest annular forming element 4. Itis plain that one of the articles being produced is formed at eachcomplete revolution of the cams 2| and 23, and it is likewise plain thatthe sheet of material M from which the blanks B have been cut isdischarged from the discharge end of the slot 3.

I claim:

1. A shaping machine comprising a body portion provided with an openingthrough which a sheet of material is fed into the machine, cutting meanswithin said body portion for cutting blanks from said sheet of material,a pair of groups of nested forming elements arranged within said bodyportion above and below said sheet of material for forming said blanksinto articles of the desired shapes, and means for imparting independentmovement to the forming elements of said groups in such manner that theforming elements of each group are moved varying distances, and saidforming elements of said pair of groups being moved in the samedirection.

2. A shaping machine comprising a body portion provided with an openingthrough which a sheet of material is fed into the machine, cutting meanswithin said body portion for cutting blanks from said sheet of material,a pair of groups of nested annular forming elements arranged within saidbody portion above and below said sheet of material for forming saidblanks into articles of the desired shapes, and means for impartingindependent movement to the forming elements of said groups in suchmanner that the forming elements of each group are moved varyingdistances, and said forming elements of said pair of groups being movedin the same direction.

3. A shaping machine comprising a body portion provided with an openingthrough which a sheet of material is fed into the machine, cutting meanswithin said body portion for cutting blanks from said sheet of material,a pair of groups of nested annular forming elements arranged with insaid body portion above and below said sheet of material for formingsaid blanks into articles of the desired shapes, said annular formingelements being arranged one within the other, and means for impartingindependent movement to the forming elements of said groups in suchmanner that the forming elements of each group are moved varyingdistances, and said forming elements of said pair of groups being movedin the same direction.

4. A shaping machine comprising a body portion provided with an openingthrough which a sheet of material is fed into the machine, cutting meanswithin said body portion for cutting blanks from said sheet of material,a pair of groups of nested annular forming elements arranged within saidbody portion above and below said sheet of material for forming saidblanks into articles of the desired shapes, said annular formingelements being arranged one within the other, and cam means forimparting independent movement to the forming elements of said groups insuch manner that the forming elements of each group are moved varyingdistances, and said forming elements of said pair of groups being movedin the same direction.

5. A shaping machine comprising a body portion provided with an openingthrough which a sheet of material is fed into the machine, cutting meanswithin said body portion for cutting blanks from said sheet of material,a pair of groups of nested annular forming elements arranged Within saidbody portion above and below said sheet of material for forming saidblanks into articles of the desired shapes, said annular formingelements being arranged one within the other, means for impartingindependent movement to the forming elements of said groups in suchmanner that the forming elements of each group are moved varyingdistances, and said forming elements of said pair of groups being movedin the same direction, and ejecting means for discharging articles fromthe machine after they have been produced from said blanks.

FRED G. WALLER.

